‘Iraq fully briefed on US troop deployment’

Washington has asked Nato members to provide special operations forces, Kerry says

The Iraqi government was fully briefed on US plans to deploy American special forces to Iraq and the two governments will consult closely on where they will go and what they will do, US Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday.

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter on Tuesday said Washington would deploy a new force of special operations troops to Iraq to combat Daesh militants who have seized swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi’s office said it welcomed foreign assistance but Iraq’s government would need to approve any deployment of special operations forces anywhere in Iraq. He also said foreign ground combat troops were not needed in Iraq, although it was unclear whether Baghdad viewed these US special operations forces in that role.

Al Abadi’s statement late Tuesday came hours after Carter told Congress that a new special operations force will be deployed to Iraq to step up fighting against Daesh.

Carter told the House Armed Services Committee that over time, the special operations force will be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and capture Daesh leaders. He said the number in the new expeditionary force would be more than 50. It would focus on helping Iraq defend its borders and build its security forces, but also be in position to conduct unilateral operations into Syria. Kerry stressed that Baghdad has been kept in the loop. “The government of Iraq was of course briefed in advance of Secretary Carter’s announcement,” He told reporters at Nato.

“We will continue to work very, very closely with our Iraqi partners on exactly who would be deployed, where they would be deployed, what kinds of missions people would undertake, how they would support Iraqi efforts to degrade and destroy [Daesh].”

The chief US diplomat also said the United States had asked other members of the 28-nation Western security alliance to provide special operations forces to provide such things as police training, ammunition and other items to Syria’s neighbours. “There are various ways in which countries can contribute. They don’t necessarily have to be troops (engaged in) kinetic action,” Kerry said.